Chapter Summaries

Li Shiming prepared for his journey to the Central Capital after earning Second Scholar, while Li Wenyuan arranged support and discovered the special tea his son had made. Back in his courtyard, Li Shiming tested the magical longsword and White Robe he had taken from Shi Ximing, leaving with new weapons for his travels.

• Li Shiming told Li Wenyuan he was content with Second Scholar, and Li Wenyuan explained that concern over suspicion had cost him First Place.
• Li Wenyuan arranged a naval vessel, guards, and companions for Li Shiming’s trip to the Central Capital, and asked him to stay at the Old Residence and visit relatives.
• Li Shiming gave Li Wenyuan tea he had roasted, and Li Wenyuan found that it had an extraordinary fragrance and invigorating effect.
• Li Shiming considered the dangers awaiting him beyond Nanling Prefecture and tested the magical longsword he had taken from Shi Ximing, finding that spiritual power let it cut through stone with ease.
• Li Shiming tested the White Robe with scissors and found that it blocked cutting and stabbing, then decided to wear it as a Confucian robe with the longsword at his side.

Li Shiming discovered that worldly food contaminated his body and that his Spiritual Power would not recover without cultivation, so he began planning to grow Spirit Rice in the Server Room Space. After passing the provincial examination as Second Scholar, he used his knowledge and resources to start building a multi-level soilless plant factory.

• Li Shiming realized that ordinary food was contaminating his body and that he needed Spirit Rice, but he lacked the materials to create a Spirit Field.
• Li Shiming searched the IBMz15 Mainframe's database and chose a space-efficient, multi-layer soilless method for growing rice.
• Mo Yan announced that Li Shiming had passed the provincial examination as Second Scholar, and Li Shiming ordered rewards for the servants.
• Li Shiming dismantled the Server Room Space's suspended ceiling and reused its LED cool lights for the plant factory.
• Li Shiming spent several hundred taels of silver on supplies and built five-level wooden shelves fitted with glass trays inside the Server Room Space.

Li Shiming used soilless cultivation and the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art to grow spirit rice inside the Server Room Space, where he carefully controlled its environment. After twenty-five days, the crop matured, giving him hope of cleansing his body of impurities from ordinary food.

• Li Shiming treated half a bag of spirit rice seeds with nutrient solution and used the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art to help their buds break through their husks.
• He moved the seedlings onto the planting rack and used soilless cultivation, controlled lighting, and careful monitoring to accelerate their growth.
• Li Shiming avoided learning the Geng Metal Art and Earth Spirit Art because his cultivation setup made them unnecessary.
• He found that the growing rice slightly increased the Server Room Space's spiritual qi, enough to offset his daily use of the rain spell.
• After twenty-five days of intensive care, Li Shiming harvested mature spirit rice and hoped it would free him from the effects of ordinary food.

Li Shiming harvested a successful crop of Spirit Rice, secured supplies and weapons, and prepared to leave Nanling Prefecture. Before his departure, he exchanged a heartfelt farewell with Li Wenyuan, who respected his secrets and urged him to stay safe.

• Li Shiming harvested 364 jin of Spirit Rice, saved the strongest grains as seeds, and estimated that he would have over 350 jin left each month after feeding himself.
• Li Shiming planted another season of Spirit Rice, stored his White Phosphorus Bombs and Thermite Bombs, and concluded that they were more practical than firearms or his wooden small sword.
• Li Shiming absorbed Spiritual Qi from the Server Room Space, completed a circulation of the Five Elements Qi Absorption Art, and bathed after expelling impurities.
• Li Wenyuan told Li Shiming he would not see him off when the official ship stopped at the dock the next day.
• Li Shiming thanked his father and asked him to take care of himself, while Li Wenyuan acknowledged his son's secrets and urged him to stay safe.

Li Shiming met the Cultivator Fan Yiyang aboard an official vessel and sold him Spiritual Rice in exchange for Spirit Stones. Fan Yiyang also gave him an Aura Concealing Art, and Li Shiming began learning more about the Cultivation World.

• Li Shiming boarded the official vessel and met Fan Yiyang, a Cultivator who had called out to him from the dock.
• Li Shiming invited Fan Yiyang to tea, and they discovered that they would be staying on the same level of the vessel.
• Fan Yiyang explained that he had detected Spiritual Rice on Li Shiming and asked to buy one hundred catties.
• Li Shiming agreed to sell the Spiritual Rice in exchange for information about the Cultivation World.
• Fan Yiyang paid Li Shiming one hundred Spirit Stones and gave him a copy of the Aura Concealing Art as a bonus.

Li Shiming learned from Fan Yiyang about spiritual roots, the Sky Ocean Sect, and the Immortal Ascension Gathering, while concealing his valuable Spirit Gathering Disk and artifacts during the journey. He prepared to reach the Central Capital safely and considered practicing the Aura Concealing Art.

• Fan Yiyang told Li Shiming that the Immortal Ascension Gathering would take place in early October and explained spiritual root types and how they could be tested.
• Li Shiming learned that Fan Yiyang was a Servant Disciple of the Sky Ocean Sect and guessed that Fan Yiyang had Quintuple Spiritual Roots.
• Li Shiming decided not to activate the Spirit Gathering Disk aboard the official ship after learning how rare and valuable spirit-gathering artifacts were.
• Li Shiming observed the straight Immortal Severing Canal and noticed the fragrance of Fan Yiyang's Spiritual Rice.
• Li Shiming followed Fan Yiyang's advice by hiding his magical artifacts beneath a scholar's robe and considered using the Aura Concealing Art to mask his spiritual power.

Li Shiming mastered the Aura Concealing Art during the voyage to the Central Capital and arrived at the Old Residence with his attendants. He settled into the main hall, where he planned to pursue his cultivation in private.

• Li Shiming used the IBMz15 Mainframe to memorize and successfully activate the Aura Concealing Art, surprising Fan Yiyang.
• Li Shiming and Fan Yiyang became friends during their twelve days aboard the official ship and parted when they reached the Central Capital.
• Li Shiming arrived at the dock with Si Qin, Mo Yan, and four guards, then rode to the Old Residence in a carriage sent by Steward Zhang.
• Li Shiming entered the modest-looking Old Residence and chose the main hall as his quarters.
• Li Shiming ordered that nobody enter the main hall without his permission and had Mo Yan bring in the luggage.

Li Shiming restored the Spirit Gathering Disk and resumed cultivating, then was alerted to a Night Walker entering his bedroom. The intruder slipped inside while Li Shiming held his breath, leaving him facing a skilled attacker with few ways to fight.

• Li Shiming activated the Spirit Gathering Disk with four new Spirit Stones and used it to cultivate the Five Elements Qi Absorption Art.
• He hid his meal from Si Qin and returned to bed after a tiring day.
• The IBMz15 Mainframe alerted Li Shiming to a Night Walker moving across the roof and down the wall of the main house.
• Li Shiming held his breath as the Night Walker blew smoke into the bedroom and opened the window with a short dagger.
• The Night Walker leapt into the room, and Li Shiming realized the intruder was a martial arts expert while he had few combat skills.

Li Shiming survived an assassination attempt by Night Walker and captured him for questioning. After moving the wounded assassin to the Rear Cover Room, Li Shiming began torturing him to learn who had sent him.

• Li Shiming pretended to sleep, then used a Low Grade Long Sword Magical Artifact to sever Night Walker's arms and legs when he attacked.
• Li Shiming ordered the guards to treat Night Walker and take him to the Rear Cover Room, while Steward Zhang preserved the bedroom as a crime scene.
• Li Shiming reassured Si Qin and went to interrogate Night Walker alone.
• Night Walker, whose face was revealed as a bearded man in his fifties, begged Li Shiming to kill him.
• Li Shiming used needles to inflict severe pain and demanded Night Walker's name and the identity of whoever had sent him.

Li Shiming interrogated Pei Xinlu, who confessed that Li Wenfeng had ordered the attack. After Lord Hu warned him not to pursue the powerful force behind it, Steward Zhang revealed that Li Wenfeng was Li Shiming’s second uncle, estranged from Li Wenyuan.

• Li Shiming used high-voltage electricity to break Big Beard, who confessed that his name was Pei Xinlu.
• Pei Xinlu revealed that Li Wenfeng, the steward of Prince Shun’s Estate, had ordered him to kill Li Shiming.
• The next morning, Lord Hu warned Li Shiming that Pei Xinlu’s backer was difficult to challenge and urged him not to act impulsively.
• Li Shiming agreed to heed Lord Hu’s advice, while Lord Hu promised to help him.
• Li Shiming questioned Steward Zhang and learned that Li Wenfeng was his second uncle, though Li Wenyuan had cut ties with that side of the family.

Prince Shun warned Li Wenfeng not to try assassinating Li Shiming again, while Li Shiming learned that Pei Xinlu had died and began studying an offensive spell. The chapter left Li Shiming successfully casting the Geng Metal Art, which pierced a tiny hole in the floor tile.

• Prince Shun reprimanded Li Wenfeng for the failed assassination and ordered him to use the residence’s connections to trouble Li Wenyuan instead.
• Li Wenfeng left Prince Shun’s Residence intent on revenge against Li Wenyuan, accepting that he could not safely target Li Shiming again.
• Li Shiming learned that Pei Xinlu had died in the Court of Judicial Review’s custody and, from Steward Zhang, discovered the old grudge between Li Wenfeng and Li Wenyuan.
• Li Shiming studied the Geng Metal Art on the IBMz15 Mainframe and used immersive videos to grasp the spell’s intent.
• Li Shiming cast the Geng Metal Art, sending a golden streak through the floor tile and leaving a tiny hole.

Li Shiming learned the Geng Metal Art and Earth Spirit Art, then visited his father's influential friends before investigating Prince Shun's Estate. A Sky Ocean Sect cultivator named Gu Jia stopped his carriage and exposed his Qi Refining Second Level cultivation while demanding to verify his identity.

• Li Shiming learned the Geng Metal Art and Earth Spirit Art, gaining an offensive spell and testing the Geng Metal Needle's range and power.
• Li Shiming ordered Si Qin to prepare gifts and visited his father's friends, who were officials in Central Capital.
• Li Shiming had Mo Yan take the carriage along Prince Estate Street to observe Prince Shun's Estate.
• Gu Jia blocked Li Shiming's carriage, knocked Mo Yan unconscious, and introduced himself as a Sky Ocean Sect cultivator stationed in Great Xia.
• Gu Jia inspected Li Shiming, dispersed the Aura Concealing Art's runes, and revealed his Qi Refining Second Level spiritual energy.

Li Shiming was questioned by Gu Jia near the Imperial Palace about his cultivation and his presence in the Central Capital, then revealed that Prince Shun’s Residence had sent assassins after him. Gu Jia agreed to investigate Li Shiming’s background and offered guidance, leaving Li Shiming to consider how to maintain their connection ahead of the Immortal Ascension Gathering.

• Gu Jia questioned Li Shiming about how he had begun cultivating and why he had approached the Imperial City, and Li Shiming explained that he had found a cultivation book and spirit stones in Nanling Prefecture.
• Li Shiming said that Fan Yiyang had taught him about the cultivation world, and Gu Jia recognized the name and promised to investigate his background.
• Gu Jia asked whether Li Shiming had a grudge against Prince Shun, and Li Shiming admitted that killers from Prince Shun’s Residence had tried to assassinate him.
• Gu Jia warned Li Shiming not to act near the Imperial Palace or use spiritual power if he wanted to avoid Gu Jia’s jurisdiction, then told him to call him Dao Brother.
• Gu Jia vanished, and Li Shiming returned by carriage with Mo Yan while weighing how to build a relationship with Gu Jia and deciding that spirit tea was safer to offer than spirit rice.

Gu Jia visited Li Shiming and confirmed that the investigation into his background had cleared him to join the Sky Ocean Sect. He introduced Li Shiming to a nearby cultivator market and left him with a first step toward exploring the Cultivation World.

• Gu Jia told Li Shiming that Great Xia’s investigation had verified his origins and cultivation inheritance, and assured him that joining the Sky Ocean Sect would not be a problem.
• Gu Jia tasted Li Shiming’s spirit water and learned that he had mastered the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Art, which he recognized as a useful cultivation craft.
• Gu Jia gave Li Shiming a map to a Cultivator Market and advised him to conceal his appearance and stay safe there.
• Li Shiming thanked Gu Jia by giving him a jar of spirit water, which Gu Jia accepted.

Li Shiming arranged a covert attack on Prince Shun and Li Wenfeng while preparing to visit the Market. As Prince Shun’s procession passed his carriage, a hidden Flat Stone ignited beneath the prince’s carriage, engulfing it in flames.

• Gu Jia told Li Shiming that Prince Shun would visit Baoen Temple the next day and gave him a map and instructions for entering the Market.
• Li Shiming planned how to kill Prince Shun without using cultivator methods, then learned Li Wenfeng’s residence was outside Gu Jia’s protection.
• Li Shiming traveled back from Baoen Temple as Prince Shun’s procession headed there, and he ordered his carriage to move aside when they met on the road.
• A Flat Stone fell from Li Shiming’s carriage, unnoticed by his guards and Prince Shun’s party.
• Li Shiming and Li Wenfeng recognized each other as their carriages passed, and Li Wenfeng felt alarmed by Li Shiming’s smile.
• Prince Shun’s carriage rolled over the Flat Stone, which cracked and ignited, setting the carriage ablaze.

Li Shiming used a timed white phosphorus device to burn Prince Shun and his entourage to death outside Central Capital. Emperor Jin Geng asked Gu Jia to investigate, but Gu Jia found no trace of Spiritual Power and left, recognizing the attack was not a cultivator’s work.

• Li Shiming’s timed device ignited a white phosphorus mixture inside Prince Shun’s carriage, killing Prince Shun, his companions, and more than ten guards who tried to rescue him.
• Li Shiming ordered his guard to ignore the fire and continue toward the city, then saw a Red Firework signal as his carriage approached the gate.
• Emperor Jin Geng asked Gu Jia to investigate Prince Shun’s death and explained that the strange attack had occurred five li outside East City.
• Gu Jia flew to the scene and found that the ash held no trace of Spiritual Power, so he concluded the attack was not the work of a cultivator and left.

Li Shiming disguised himself and entered the hidden Market to survey its stalls and learn what he could buy with his Spirit Stones. He left the first stalls without purchasing anything, still hiding his inexperience from the cultivators there.

• Li Shiming used a Low-Grade Body Lightening Talisman to reach the Market and disguised his face and build to conceal his identity.
• Li Shiming used a Rune Pattern to open the hidden entrance in a mountain wall and entered the Market.
• Li Shiming found a small Market with a dozen or so stalls and cultivators, then decided to inspect everything before spending his Spirit Stones.
• Li Shiming examined Hao's talisman stall and considered buying supplies, but realized he could currently only attempt to draw a Low-Grade Geng Metal Talisman.
• Li Shiming inspected Deng's stall of Low Grade Magical Artifacts and moved on without asking how to use them, wary of revealing his inexperience.

Li Shiming visited Central Capital Market, where he learned about a rise in Spiritual Rice prices and found that the available Spirit Seeds offered little value to him. He sold Old Liu one hundred jin of Spiritual Rice for one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, leaving with more funds to buy other goods.

• Li Shiming watched a cultivator complain as Old Liu raised the price of Spiritual Rice to two Spirit Stones per jin, citing a recent Spirit Plant Insect Tide.
• Old Liu showed Li Shiming seeds for Emerald Spirit Grass, Earth Ginseng, and Three Leaf Orchid, but Li Shiming decided not to buy any.
• Li Shiming asked whether Old Liu would buy Spiritual Rice, and Old Liu offered one Spirit Stone per jin.
• Li Shiming negotiated a price of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for one hundred jin of Spiritual Rice, and Old Liu completed the purchase.

Li Shiming bought three spell manuals, a damaged Spirit Plant, and supplies for making talismans at the Market. On his way out, he detected a likely ambush and changed direction, while two hidden cultivators watched him without pursuing.

• Li Shiming bargained with Stall Owner Zhang and bought three spell manuals for twenty Spirit Stones.
• Li Shiming bought a damaged Spirit Plant root and two branches for five Spirit Stones at a temporary stall.
• Li Shiming bought two stacks of Talisman Paper, a Red Hare Brush, and Talisman Ink Materials from Stall Owner Hao.
• Li Shiming activated a Low-Grade Body Lightening Talisman and took a detour instead of returning directly to Central Capital.
• Li Shiming used the IBMz15 Mainframe to detect a likely presence in the woods and changed direction, while two hidden cultivators observed him and decided not to chase.

Li Shiming was ambushed on his way out of the Market by two stronger cultivators demanding his Storage Bag. He used a Thermite Bomb to engulf them in flames, and their screams quickly stopped.

• Li Shiming followed the route analyzed by the IBMz15 Mainframe and detected signs that cultivators were lying in wait ahead.
• Two cultivators, one at Qi Refining Stage 3 and one at Qi Refining Fourth Level, emerged and demanded Li Shiming's Storage Bag.
• Li Shiming judged that he had almost no chance of winning with talismans and retrieved a Thermite Bomb from the Server Room Space.
• Li Shiming threw the Thermite Bomb and covered himself with a large, soft object made of Starlite.
• The Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator struck the bomb with spiritual power, triggering it and engulfing both cultivators in flames.